High School State Championships: Michigan Girls Divisions 1, 2 and 3

HOLLAND, Michigan, November 19. WEST Ottawa (Holland), Holland High and Kingswood (Cranbrook) were the team champions at the Michigan State High School Swimming and Diving Championships Nov. 16-17. Swimmers in Michigan compete in three divisions; divisional championships were held in Holland (Division 1), Rochester (Division 2) and Ypsilanti (Division 3).

Division 1
West Ottawa combined for 293.5 points, closely followed by Mercy (272) and Saline (266). Zeeland took fourth (150), with South Lyon close behind for fifth (142).

West Ottawa's 200 medley relay–with seniors Colleen VandePoel, Chelsea Rish, Anna Battistello and Caroline Fender–broke the Division 1 mark with their 1:45.12 in prelims. They came back in finals and came up just 2-hundredths short of their mark, finishing first in 1:45.14. Another all-senior quartet claimed the 200 free relay title for the Panthers (1:35.58) with Anna Babinec, Lauren DeShaw, Fender and Elizabeth Fris. The only individual win gained by West Ottawa came in the diving event, with sophomore Dani VanderZwaag scoring 425.45 points for first.

Ketterling (Waterford) sophomore Maddie Wright lowered the division record in the 100 fly to 54.13 and also came in first in the 200 free (1:48.01). Another division record fell in the 50 free to Hudsonville senior Danielle Freeman with her 22.96. She also claimed a second triumph with her 50.76 in the 100 free.

The Mercy Marlins' junior Elliott Schinella cruised to a 54.91 victory in the 100 back, and sophomore Maddy Lomiewski posted a winning 2:05.09 in the 200 IM. Northville senior Catherine Cui was tops in the 100 breast (1:03.71), and Plymouth junior Sarah Dombkowski–runner-up to Wright in the 200 free–claimed the top spot on the podium in the 500 free (4:55.82).

Saline's 400 free relay prevented a West Ottawa sweep. The team of freshmen Amelia Armstrong-Grant and Allison Eppinga, with seniors Melanie Schroeder and Maddy Frost put together a 3:29.13, ahead of West Ottawa's 3:30.53.

Division 2
The Holland High School Dutch earned their second consecutive Division 2 team title, scoring 311.5 points. They finished ahead of Skyline (255.5), Grosse Pointe South (190), Portage Central (154) and Groves (152).

The Dutch swept the relay events. Sophomore Taylor Garcia, senior Melissa Vandermeulen, junior Abi Johns and freshman Clara Steeby were tops in the 200 medley (1:44.20): juniors Holly Moorren, Emily Johns and Cassie Mislewicz joined Vandermeulen for the 200 free win (1:35.89); and freshman Anna Geisler joined Mislewicz, Morren and Garcia to claim the 400 free (3:28.64).

Several Holland swimmers finished first in individual competition. Garcia was a double-event champion with her 53.81 in the 100 back and 54.72 in the 100 fly. Mislewicz was the only sub-5:00 swimmer in the 500 free, finishing in 4:59.45. Morren grabbed the 100 free title (50.74), just ahead of Grosse Pointe South sophomore Catie DeLoof's 50.86. DeLoof turned the tables on Morren to grab the 50 free title (23.66-23.87).

Skyline (Ann Arbor) junior Ashleigh Shanley also picked up two championships. In the 100 breast, Shanley finished 2-hundredths ahead of classmate Shannon Cowley (1:03.22-1:03.24) for the win. She had a much easier time in the 200 IM, cruising to a 2:03.84 finish.

Mollie Pulte, a sophomore at Marian (Bloomfield Hills), topped the field in the 200 free with her 1:50.27. Allie Murphy set a Division 2 mark in 1-meter diving with her winning score of 442.80 points.

Division 3
Cranbrook Kingswood, a small private school in Bloomfield Hills, put together a 361-point total to defeat the rest of the competition at the Division 3 championships. Lahser (Bloomfield Hills) took second with 211 points, followed by Hamilton (168.5), Holland Christian (157) and Plainwell (140).

The Cranes' Lara Kokubo, a sophomore, was the only individual event champion with her 52.19 in the 100 free. She anchored their 400 free relay to a division record 3:33.63, along with seniors Madeline Montgomery, Alexa Reseter and Kylie Powrie. The quartet also grabbed the 200 free relay title in 1:38.28, just ahead of Holland Christian's 1:38.42.

In Lahser's last year of competition (next year, they will combine with Bloomfield Hilsl Andover), the Lady Knights' 200 medley relay of juniors Ines Charles, Hailey Sanibor and Mary Pilibosian, along with senior Lucy Ramonat, finished in 1:48.64, preventing a Cranbrook Kingswood sweep. The Cranes placed second in 1:49.82.

Charles' 56.92 put her on top in the 100 back, and Pilibosian posted a winning 2:07.32 in the 200 IM for the Lady Knights.

Mallory Comferford, a sophomore at Plainwell, set two Division 3 marks with her victories in the 200 free (1:48.07) and the 500 free (4:53.14). Three other swimmers finished first in their events: Powers Catholic junior Hannah Kopydlowski (50 free, 23.93), Tecumseh senior Rachel Waite (100 breast, 1:05.48) and Adrian junior Jennifer Wagley (100 fly, 57.11). Comerford's teammate, sophomore Kim Jones, topped the diving competition, putting together 411.75 points.

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